Did you notice anything else, such as the person’s posture or voice, or mannerisms?

Data Workshop: Everyday Class Consciousness pg. 186
In this Data Workshop participant observation research to understand more about how we size up other people in terms of their socioeconomic status. Return to the section in chapter 2 for a refresher on ethnography/participant observation research methods. First choose a location to be the field site for your study; it should be a busy public place with a variety of passerby. You will want to be both a participant and an observer in the setting. So, for example, you could pretend to be waiting for someone at the airport, sitting at the mall, or standing in line at the post office. Next you’ll want to make some discreet but in depth observations about a small number of people in the setting. One way to take a simple sample of this population is to select every seventh or tenth person that walks by you. Spend several moments looking closely at him or her. Ask yourself quickly: what class status do you think this person holds? Don’t think too long at this point, just register your guess. Continue this process as you observe another three or four people. Now it is time to write some ethnographic field notes, preferably while you are in the field or as soon as possible afterward. Make sure to be as detailed as possible.
Consider the following questions as you analyze your data. What kinds of things did you observe about others that helped inform your evaluation of their class status- height, weight, race, age, gender, hairstyle, tattoos, piercings, watches, jewelry, or makeup? Perhaps their style of dress, the colors, fabrics, or logos on a t-shirt, hat. purse, sunglasses, or shoes caught your attention. Did you notice anything else, such as the person’s posture or voice, or mannerisms? If you observed someone on the street, did you see the car they were driving? What was its make, year, and condition? Did you notice any other status clues in any accessories the person had- a laptop or smartphone, a baby stroller or shopping bags? How did the setting itself influence your assumptions about their social class standing?
Your Assignment:
Conduct your participant observation research according to the instructions. Prepare some ethnographic field notes and upload them under this assignment post. In your response, be sure to note similarities and differences in the criteria set used by each group to determine the social class of the people they observed.

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